Category: National Parks

Why the Jasper Skywalk is Worth It (My Honest Review After 2 Visits)

8/5/2024

Before you Book the Jasper Skywalk

The Jasper Skywalk, properly known as the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, is one of the most epic things you can do in the Banff & Jasper National Park areas. If you do muster up enough courage to walk out on the glass panels (which move by the way) you'll be rewarded with some of the most epic views in the Icefields Parkway. We've complete the Jasper Skywalk walkway twice now, and each time it truly blows us away - and spoiler - it's 100% worth it.

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The Jasper Sywalk, or the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, is located in Jasper National Park - just about a two hour drive North from the town of Banff. The views on this drive are absolutely stunning, and trust me when I say you will not want to snooze off on this road trip that takes you through the iconic Icefields Parkway.

We recommend planning to spend more than just 2 hours on the drive up so you can explore some epic hikes, like the stunningly blue Peyto Lake! If you plan to drive up yourself you can park at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center, which has a huge parking lot with spaces large enough for RV's and campers. If you don't feel like driving up the day of your tour, you have the option to stay at the Glacier View Lodge which, shockingly, has incredible glacier views.

Ticket prices can change everyday depending on how busy it is and what season it is, so we recommend checking online to plan on visiting on the least busiest/expensive days during your trip.

The Skywalk itself has glass floor panels, with stunning views of the Sunwapta Valley from 918 feet up! Once you arrive you have as long or as little as you'd like to hang out on the Skywalk, with buses bringing people back to the Discovery Center every 15-20 minutes. The entire walkway is about 1 kilometer long!

Book Online Here : Columbia Icefield Skywalk

Another favorite tour in Jasper :
- Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island

Is the Skywalk Worth It?

After checking in, you'll take about a 10 minute bus ride to the Skywalk itself - where you'll be able to get off and spend as much or as little time as you'd like on the glass skywalk.

But is the Jasper Skywalk actually worth it? In our honest opinion, YES. We've done this tour twice now, once booked in conjunction with the glacier tour. The entire experience is such an adrenaline rush, and although we've done quite a few other glass floors before (like the Skydeck in Chicago, Space Needle in Seattle, etc.) none of them have ever had a view like this. On our most recent visit we even saw mountain goats from the glass skywalk!

We have to be honest, the only downside is that it can get a little crowded during summer visits, but since there's no time limit you can easily stay a little longer and waited for the Skywalk to get a little less crowded. Even with this, it's easily become one of our top recommendations for the entire area - along with the Banff Gondola!